Reflecting sign and reflecting unit therefor



Feb. 24, 1942. 'c. A. PERSONS 2,274,212

REFLECTING SIGN AND REFLECTING UNIT THEREFOR F iled Aug. 5, 1938 Fiigl Inventor Charles A152 Patented Feb. 24, 1942 REFLECTING SIGN AND REFLECTING UNIT THEREFOR Charles A. Persons, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Persons -Majestic Manufacturing Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 5, 1938, Serial No. 223,259 8 Claims. (o1. 88- 82) The present invention relates to, reflecting signs, and particularly to the individual units which are used in a predetermined multiple arrangement or grouping to outline or delineate the letters or characters of a reflecting sign,

In such signs, used largely for traflic purposes, the reflecting units must be able not only to withstand the most severe weather. conditions, but also to resist breakage when struck, for example, by stones thrown at the sign, or when the sign receives in any way a damaging blow.

. My invention provides reflector units, in a variety of simple, inexpensive and easily-manufactured forms, which satisfy the above requirements. Also, my improved reflector units, in addition to being readily removable from and replaceable in the signs in which they are used, are susceptible of assemblage, interchangeably, in a wide variety of sign constructions.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description thereof, reference being had in this connection to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figs. 1 and 2 are illustrations, partly in section and partly in elevation, of two different types of units, each embodying my invention in one of its forms. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a sign, showing the use therein of one of my improved units such as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 illustrates, partly in section and partly in elevation, a modified form of my invention as applied to a unit of the general type of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a sign made up of units of the modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 4 as applied to a unit of the general type of Fig, 2.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating ton lens I having convex front and rear faces 2 and 3, respectively. Said rear face 3 receives a suitable opaque coating 4 which serves in a manner well known, as an effective reflector of light rays passing through the lens, and thus dispenses with the necessity for using in the unit a reflector element separate from the lens itself. In the unit of Fig. 2, I have shown a button lens I a with which is associated a separate reflecting element 5, the latter being of shallow cup form with its concave surfacesuitably plated or burnished, and held in spaced relation to the convex inner surface of lens la by engagement of its rim with a flanged shoulder 6 of the lens. -In both units (Fig, 1 and Fig. 2), the incasing and mounting devices for the lens and reflector have the same characteristics, as follows:

I provide for each unit a suitable housing I in the form preferably of a cup-shaped sheet-metal stamping, whose substantially cylindrical wall 8 and integral bottom 9 are connected by a fold or double-thickness portion 1!) of the housing material. The internal diameter of the wall 8 is such as to receive snugly the intermediate large-diameter portion ll of the lens when the latter is inserted at the upper open end of the cup-shaped housing; when this lens (Fig. 1) is fully received in the housing 1, its rear mirrored convex surface 3 is seated substantially against housing bottom 9, the latter preferably being of the same curvature as said mirrored surface. In assembling the reflector unit of Fig. 2, the casing 1 first receives the reflecting element 5 which seats against bottom 9, and makes at its rim the same snug fit with wall 8 as does the large-diameter portion ll of lens la.

In both cases, after the parts have been inserted as above olescribed in the cup-shapedhousings, an annular gasket [2 of rubber or other suitable material is positioned on the outer surface of the lens portion H, and then the rim of wall 8 is spun or otherwise forced over, inwardly, as shown at 13, to compress said gasket, thereby hermetically sealing the outer end of the casing around the projecting lens portion 2. In this Way, by the complete and permanent incasement of both lens element and reflecting element, the access of dirt and moisture to the interior of the assemblage is at all times prevented,-so that the unit is effectively sealed against deterioration, even with prolonged exposure to the severest weather.

In the housing construction shown by Figs. 1 and 2, the double-thickness connecting portion l0 between wall 8 and integral bottom 9 is rolled,

like material. Said cushioning member [6, having a bead or rim II that substantially fits and fills the undercut recess I4, is preferably of sufiicient flexibility to be insertable through the contracted entrance l5, whereupon the bead or rim H, by expansion, seats in recess l4 and thereby secures the member 16 in place, with a portion thereof projecting through the entrance or opening 15.

Fig. 3 shows the use of such a cushionedequipped reflecting unit in a sign construction of conventional type, having a front plate [8 and a rear plate l9 secured to the front plate by any suitable means, such as clamping bolts, one of which is shown at 20, The front plate l8 provides a set or series of openings 2|, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, these openings being arranged as usual to form a signal, or the letters of a word or sign, and each opening having projected therethrough, in the assembly of the sign, the reduced-diameter front portion of the lens of one of my improved units. Each such unit, so inserted in the front plate, bears by its housing portion 13 against the inner surface of said plate and is held in place by the engagement of the back plate I9 against cushioning member IS. Said cushioning member, by reason of its projection beyond the housing or shell 1, prevents any contact of said shell with the back plate IQ of the sign; in the event of any reflector unit or units being struck, as by an object thrown at the sign, the member or members 16 will yield sufficiently to cushion the blow, thus avoiding damage to the units themselves.

In the units shown by Figs. 4 and 5, the constructions are identical with Figs. 1 and 2 respectively, except as regards the form of cushioning member received in and held by the undercut recess M of the housing or shell I. In the case of both Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, this cushioning member, designated 22, provides, beyond the head or rim I! that substantially fits and fills the undercut recess I4, a contracted neck portion 23, from which projects rearwardly a lateral enlargement 24 whose outer surface is concave, to provide a suction cup 25 engageable with the back plate ll! of the sign. In a sign having cushionequipped reflector units of this character, the back plate H! can be removed, for any reason desired, without danger of the units becoming displaced or disarranged; furthermore, the cushioning members 22 are more flexible, in reacting to blows received by their associated units.

In Fig. 6, the unit is constructed substantially identically with that of Fig. 2, except as regards the form of cushioning member received in and held by the undercut recess 14 of the housing or shell I. In Fig. 6, the cushioning member, designated 26, provides, beyond its bead or rim I! that fits the undercut recess M, a neck portion 21 that extends through opening Hi; this neck portion 21 is made hollow, as shown at 28, for the reception of the shank 29 of a screw, rivet, or the like, which is secured to and projects from the back plate 30 of the sign. The opening 28 is enlarged laterally, as shown at 3!, to receive the head 32 of the projecting screw, rivet, or the like, and thus the cushioning member 26 of each reflecting unit is made to serve as a means for detachably securing the unit to any one of a series of headed members or studs projecting from the back plate 30 of the sign; that is to say, there is sufficient yield in the material of the cushioning member for the opening 28 to be forced over the head 32, in the act of impaling each unit on one of the projecting studs of the back plate; this allows all the units to be assembled in the desired positions on the back plate, and makes possible the replacement at any time of a damaged or defective unit with a minimum of trouble and expense.

I claim:

1. A light reflecting unit adapted to be mount-ed between the back plate and the apertured front plate of a sign, said unit comprising a lens and associated reflecting means, a housing of firm material receiving said parts, said housing being open at one end to expose the front end of said lens for projection through an aperture of said front plate, said housings other closed end providing exteriorly an undercut annular recess, and a cushioning member for detachable connection with said housings closed end, said cushioning member having a portion substantially fitting said recess and receiving therein by flexure of same through the contracted entrance to said recess, said cushioning member being of suflicient thickness to contact firmly with the back plate of said sign when the other end of said housing is engaged with the apertured front plate of said sign.

2. A light reflecting unit adapted to be mounted between the back plate and the apertured front plate of a sign, saidunit comprising a lens and associated reflecting means, a hous ing of firm material receiving said parts, said housing being open at one end to expose the front end of said lens for projection through an aperture of said front plate, said housings other closed end providing exteriorly an undercut annular recess, and a cushioning member for detachable connection with said housings closed end, said cushioning member having a portion substantially fitting said recess and receivable therein by fiexure of same through the contracted entrance tosaid recess, said cushioning member having a neck portion projecting through said entrance and being of suificient thickness to firmly contact the back plate of said sign when said housing at its other end is engaged with the apertured front plate of said sign.

3. A light reflecting unit adapted to be mounted between the back plate and the apertured front plate of a sign, said unit comprising a lens and associated reflecting means, a housing of firm material receiving said parts, said housing being open at one end to expose the front end of said lens for projection through an aperture of said front plate, said housings other closed end providing exteriorly an undercut annular recess, and a cushioning member for detachable connection with said housingsclosed end, said cushioning member having a portion substantially fitting said recess and receivable therein by fiexure of same through the contracted entrance to said recess, said cushioning member having a neck portion projecting through said entrance, and being of sufiicient thickness to firmly contact the back plate of said sign when the front of said housing is engaged with the apertured front plate of said sign, and means carried by said neck portion for detachably connecting said cushioning member to said back plate.

4. In a light reflecting unit for signs and the like, a housing of firm material open at one end,

exteriorly an undercut annular recess, and a cushioning member having a portion substantially fitting said recess and receivable therein by flexure of same through the contracted entrance to said recess, said cushioning member having a neck portion projecting through said entrance, and said neck portion providing, beyond said entrance, a suction cup forengagement with the back plate of the sign.

5. A light reflecting unit adapted to be mounted on the back plate of a sign, said unit comprising a lens and associated reflecting means, a housing of firm material receiving said parts, said housing being open at one end to expose the front end of said lens, said housings other closed end providing exteriorly an undercut annular recess, and a detachable cushioning member for said housing having a portion substantially fitting said recess and receivable therein ,by flexure of same through the contracted entrance to said recess, said cushioning vmember having an apertured neck portion projecting through said entrance, with said aperture opening through the outer surface of said member to receive and surround a projection from the back plate of the sign.

6. A light reflecting unit adapted to be mounted between the back plate and the apertured front plate of a sign, said unit comprising a lens and associated reflecting means, a housing of firm material receiving said parts, said housing being open at one end to expose the front end of said lens for projection through an aperture of said front plate, said housings other closed end providing exteriorly an undercut annular recess, and a detachable cushioning member for said housing having a portion substantially fitting said recess and receivable therein by flexure of same through the contracted entrance to said recess, said cushioning member being of sufiicient thickness to firmly contact its outer surface with the back plate of said sign whenthe open end of said housing is in engagement with the apertured front plate of said sign, and having an apertured neck portion projecting through said entrance, with said aperture opening through said outer surface to receive and surround a projection from the back plate of the sign, the aperture of said neck portion being enlarged inwardly of said outer surface to receive the head of said projection.

'7. In a reflecting sign, an apertured front plate and a back plate in spaced relation to said front plate, in combination with a plurality of light refleeting units arranged between said plates and each adapted to project through a front plate aperture, each unit comprising a lens and reflecting means, a casing therefor open at one end from which said lens projects, said casing around its open end providing a shoulder engaging said front plate around the associated aperture for said lens, and said casing at its closed end providing an exterior undercut annular recess, and a cushioning member adapted to be flexed into detachable engagement with said recess, said cushioning member when so engaged projecting rearwardly from said casing into detachable engagement with said back plate.

8. The combination with the back plate and apertured front plate of a sign, of a plurality of reflecting units arranged between said plates and each associated with a front plate aperture, each unit comprising a lens and reflecting means, a casing therefor open at one end from Which said lens projects, and closed at the other end, said casing around its open end providing a shoulder engaging the front plate around the associated aperture for its lens, one end of said casing providing an undercut annular recess, and a cushioning member adapted to be flexed into detachable engagement with said recess, said cushioning member when so engaged projecting from said casing into contact with one of said plates, thereby to position said unit in said s1gn.

CHARLES A. PERSONS. 

